Part I The Book of Jonah (Introduction)

As we approach this series of messages in the exciting and lesson packed book of Jonah, it is our prayer that the Spirit of God may arouse your heart to obedience to His revealed will for your life; and to the end, that you might become a vibrant witness for Him in view of the crumbling effects of sin which has pervaded our communities. Our communities are speaking rather blatantly that we need to get the word out to those who have lost hope and is in profound despair. Yes, there are some people in our communities who are in despair because they have pursued every possible pleasure in life, trying to seek happiness, when all they need to know is that genuine Joy and happiness consist in a personal and intimate and daily encounter with the Lord Jesus. Only Jesus Christ can and will bring lasting and perpetual peace and Joy.

Having said that, we are introduced to one of God’s mouthpiece that was an actual person that existed in history (II Kings 14:25). He was from Gath-hepher, a small town in Galilee, and he was a prophet during the reign of Jereboam II, King of Israel. During Jereboam’s reign the Kingdom was healthy and prosperous, with the borders of Israel expanding; yet, although experiencing success outwardly, the Kingdom was in its decline spiritually. Jonah, a prophet of the Northern Kingdom, was sent on a foreign missionary campaign to Ninevah, the capital of Assryia. He didn’t appreciate being sent to Ninevah because the Ninevites were noted as cruel and atrocious people, noted for flaying their victims of war and using them as public spectacles of their conquest in war. When God issued Jonah the assignment to preach unto the Ninevites, Jonah wasn’t motivated by a sense of love for them, for he was prejudice and was blinded by a patriotic zeal and spirit for his own people. Jonah knew that God was a God of mercy, and that if the Ninevites were to repent, God would relent in sparing the Ninevites from Judgment.

The world of our day needs to know that our God can and will save anybody, regardless to their despicable past. If the unsaved would only look to Jesus Christ and His finished work, they can be saved. This article will serve as our introduction to a number of series we will be presenting. May God truly bless you and please share the Word through witnessing this week.  Tell the unsaved that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father (John 14:6);  and if the unsaved would only turn to Him, their destiny will be transformed from eternal death unto eternal life (John 5:24).